--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The newspapers are the ruling power. Any…" description: "\"The newspapers are the ruling power. Any other government is reduced to a few marines at Fort Independence. If a man neglects to read the Daily Times, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/henry-david-thoreau-20_forts_the-newspapers-are-the-ruling-power-any_1877231.jpg" --- # The newspapers are the ruling power. Any other government… ![“The newspapers are the ruling power. Any other government is reduced to a few marines at Fort Independence. If a man neglects to read the Daily Times, government will go down on its knees to him, for this is the only treason these days.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/henry-david-thoreau-20_forts_the-newspapers-are-the-ruling-power-any_1877231.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/henry-david-thoreau-20_forts_the-newspapers-are-the-ruling-power-any_1877231.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/584/henry-david-thoreau-20_forts_the-newspapers-are-the-ruling-power-any_1877231.jpg) > “The newspapers are the ruling power. Any other government is reduced to a few marines at Fort Independence. If a man neglects to read the Daily Times, government will go down on its knees to him, for this is the only treason these days.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading the press empowers citizens, making governments accountable and preventing authoritarian control. **In simple terms:** Reading news keeps power in check. Key Takeaway Stay informed to protect democracy. Themes media citizenship power dynamics Mood critical alert Type political philosophical When to use this quote - voting - community organizing - education - public debate Key Concepts journalism political theory civil liberty Questions to Reflect On - What sources diversify your news? - How does informed dissent shape policy? A Different Perspective Overreliance on a single source can skew perception. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Forts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forts/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independence/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Neglect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neglect/) [Newspapers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/newspapers/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Treason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/treason/) ## Related quotes > [God has appointed us captains of this our bodily fort, which, without treason to that majesty, are never to be delivered over till they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/god-has-appointed-us-captains-of-this-our-bodily-fort-which-without/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [While the very inhabitants of New England were thus fabling about the country a hundred miles inland, which was a terra incognitato them,... Champlain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/while-the-very-inhabitants-of-new-england-were-thus-fabling-about-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [But it is rather derogatory that your dwelling-place should be only a neighborhood to a great city,--to live on an inclined plane.I do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/but-it-is-rather-derogatory-that-your-dwelling-place-should-be-only-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Consider the islands bearing the names of all the saints, bristling with forts like chestnut-burs, or Echinidæ, yet the police will not let a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/consider-the-islands-bearing-the-names-of-all-the-saints-bristling/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [High treason, when it is resistance to tyranny here below, has its origin in, and isfirst committed by, the powerthat makes and forever re-creates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/high-treason-when-it-is-resistance-to-tyranny-here-below-has-its/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [It is a tribute to Indian democracy that a person from a poor family, an ordinary family, is today addressing the nation from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/it-is-a-tribute-to-indian-democracy-that-a-person-from-a-poor-family/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [“Every great building once begun as a building plan. That means, sitting in that building plan on the table is a mighty structure not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/every-great-building-once-begun-as-a-building-plan-that-means-sitting/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [I grew up in the Cayman Islands. I didn't play video games or watch TV. I would basically come home from school, throw down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armie-hammer/i-grew-up-in-the-cayman-islands-i-didn-t-play-video-games-or-watch-tv/) [Armie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armie-hammer/) > [Imagine foreign troops sitting idly, laughing as hooligans trashed the Smithsonian, stole the gold from Fort Knox and burned down the Department of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/imagine-foreign-troops-sitting-idly-laughing-as-hooligans-trashed-the/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [To be tempted is not to sin. The strongest attacks are made on the strongest forts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/to-be-tempted-is-not-to-sin-the-strongest-attacks-are-made-on-the/) [Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/) > [The court is like a palace built of marble; I mean that it is made up of very hard but very polished people. \[Fr.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-court-is-like-a-palace-built-of-marble-i-mean-that-it-is-made-up/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [I want a big house with a moat and dragons and a fort to keep people out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-beckham/i-want-a-big-house-with-a-moat-and-dragons-and-a-fort-to-keep-people/) [Victoria Beckham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-beckham/) > [Each restorational advancement of the Army of the Lord has established denominational forts that are given responsibility to maintain the purity and power of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hamon/each-restorational-advancement-of-the-army-of-the-lord-has/) [Bill Hamon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hamon/) > [Want to talk third wave feminism, you could cite Ariel Levy and the idea that women have internalized male oppression. Going to spring break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/want-to-talk-third-wave-feminism-you-could-cite-ariel-levy-and-the/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [See you in a few. Hold down the fort, Mr. Wong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/see-you-in-a-few-hold-down-the-fort-mr-wong/) [Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Forts quotes > [See you in a few. Hold down the fort, Mr. Wong!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/see-you-in-a-few-hold-down-the-fort-mr-wong/) [Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/) > [Want to talk third wave feminism, you could cite Ariel Levy and the idea that women have internalized male oppression. Going to spring break…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/want-to-talk-third-wave-feminism-you-could-cite-ariel-levy-and-the/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Each restorational advancement of the Army of the Lord has established denominational forts that are given responsibility to maintain the purity and power of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hamon/each-restorational-advancement-of-the-army-of-the-lord-has/) [Bill Hamon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hamon/) > [I want a big house with a moat and dragons and a fort to keep people out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-beckham/i-want-a-big-house-with-a-moat-and-dragons-and-a-fort-to-keep-people/) [Victoria Beckham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-beckham/) > [The court is like a palace built of marble; I mean that it is made up of very hard but very polished people. \[Fr.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-court-is-like-a-palace-built-of-marble-i-mean-that-it-is-made-up/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [To be tempted is not to sin. The strongest attacks are made on the strongest forts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/to-be-tempted-is-not-to-sin-the-strongest-attacks-are-made-on-the/) [Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/) > [Consider the islands bearing the names of all the saints, bristling with forts like chestnut-burs, or Echinidæ, yet the police will not let a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/consider-the-islands-bearing-the-names-of-all-the-saints-bristling/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Imagine foreign troops sitting idly, laughing as hooligans trashed the Smithsonian, stole the gold from Fort Knox and burned down the Department of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-rall/imagine-foreign-troops-sitting-idly-laughing-as-hooligans-trashed-the/) [Ted Rall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-rall/) > [I grew up in the Cayman Islands. I didn't play video games or watch TV. I would basically come home from school, throw down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armie-hammer/i-grew-up-in-the-cayman-islands-i-didn-t-play-video-games-or-watch-tv/) [Armie Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armie-hammer/) > [“Every great building once begun as a building plan. That means, sitting in that building plan on the table is a mighty structure not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/every-great-building-once-begun-as-a-building-plan-that-means-sitting/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [It is a tribute to Indian democracy that a person from a poor family, an ordinary family, is today addressing the nation from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/it-is-a-tribute-to-indian-democracy-that-a-person-from-a-poor-family/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [The first season of 'Community' stumbled a bit because the plotlines too often veered into realism, but that is not a problem anymore. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/the-first-season-of-community-stumbled-a-bit-because-the-plotlines/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [The men and women who serve this great nation, whether they are stationed in Iraq, Fort Riley, or the Korean Peninsula, or they serve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-sebelius/the-men-and-women-who-serve-this-great-nation-whether-they-are/) [Kathleen Sebelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-sebelius/) > [And if our goal as moral citizens is to make the world a better place, then there is only once choice: to pump as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-levant/and-if-our-goal-as-moral-citizens-is-to-make-the-world-a-better-place/) [Ezra Levant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-levant/) > [If you want to humble an empire it makes sense to maim its cathedrals. They are symbols of its faith, and when they crumple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/if-you-want-to-humble-an-empire-it-makes-sense-to-maim-its-cathedrals/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) [Browse all 119 Forts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forts/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The newspapers are the ruling power. Any other government is reduced to a few marines at Fort Independence. 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